Category Archives: Winter Commuting – Experiences and Lessons

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Did I continue to cycle commute for the balance of 2016? – YES
Did I manage to keep exercise built into my daily routine? – YES
Did I return to a healthy body weight? – YES

My last Blog post was in April 2016. This time also aligned with the move from winter cycling to summer cycling. I thought it was more than overdue to provide an update.

As evident in the above before and after photos, I have lost close to 50 pounds over the past year. I returned to a healthy body weight in October 2016. Cycling was a large component of that transition the other was properly tracking my calorie intake and ensuring that I was getting enough to eat and making healthy food choices. I follow the Weight watchers plan, because I need the structure that a program like that offers.

CONCUSSION

The year was not without setbacks, in the late summer, the front wheel of my hybrid bicycle slid off a trail edge near a gated entrance. I, of course, fell bringing the bike with me. I cracked my bike helmet in this adventure and I received a concussion. At the time, my stubbornness reared its ugly head and I addressed my concussion symptoms for about 3 weeks, after which I deemed myself good-to-go. I know…I know…where did I get my medical degree from? and yes Dr. Google should not be relied upon.

Honestly I felt great until about November at which time my concussion symptoms seemed to really flare up. I don’t know why it happened in November, but I have been receiving treatment for the concussion symptoms. They did curtail my cycling for November and December, but I am cleared to cycle now.

PROUD MOMENTS

Cycling all of 2016 was, in itself a big achievement for me and one that I am thankful I took on. In September I decided to stretch my comfort level and support Waterloo Regional Police Sgt. Pete Viol in his fundraising efforts for the Grand River Hospital cancer Centre. This saw me and my friend Barbara cycling for 5-days straight on and off 60-70 km/day each from Riviere-du-loup to Chambly Quebec. This was an amazing adventure. Much of the time was spent on the off-road Route Verte (http://www.routeverte.com/e/) in the beautiful Province of Quebec. Training for this ride then undertaking it created wonderful memories.

DOUBTS

As January 2017 approached I doubted my ability to winter commute. I suspect my concern was founded in the fact I was off the bike as a part of the concussion recovery. This blog, was a game changer for me. I re-read my entries from 2016, I considered the weather I already proved I could ride through and I reminded myself I can do it I just need to gear up and make it happen!

So I am back into a routine of winter cycling, my “Batpod” Norco Fat bike continues to be a stable ride that increases my comfort level on snow and ice. The daily exercise helps clear my mind, ready me for work and build my physical fitness levels.

I am not alone and routinely see other winter cyclists on the road. The key to winter cycling, in addition to having a ride you feel stable on is LIGHTS, REFLECTORS and more LIGHTS. It more important than ever to see and be seen in the winter so I ride with highly reflective gear and a flashing rear tail light day and night.

Variable Attire based on the temperature: long-sleeve dress, tights and a wool scarf.

The winter bike was back on the road today for my commute to work. It feels like “old man winter” just does not want to release his grip on Southwestern Ontario. Last night we had a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain. The morning roads, in particular the bike lanes, still contained some of the snow and ice from last night. The Norco Big Foot was the ride of choice for the day. It was as easy ride to work. Hopefully the forecasted high winds will have passed us by before I head home.

Although I have not updated my blog for a few weeks, I can assure you that I have remained on a bike 3 to 4 times per week. With the return of sketchy weather and crazy schedules requiring me to be more agile to get to meetings i.e. needing a car….I have turned to training indoors.

Indoor Training Setup

I love my cycleops trainer set up and to motivate me I watch YouTube training videos created by the Global Cycling Network (GCN) www.globalcyclingnetwork.com . They have large number of videos to choose from based on your set up and available time. I have used the 20 min. spin class, the 20 min. fat burner, the outdoor training video and more. If I chose a 20 min. workout then, depending on my time, I can do more both before and after the workout. The great thing about spinning is that you can choose how hard you want to push yourself. If I am at the top of my game, then I push myself. If I am dead beat tired, but need the exercise to clear my mind, then I can let up a bit.

To watch the videos I mount my ipad on my handle bars using a set up designed to hold an ipad to a microphone stand. I often train in the morning before my family is awake, so to listen to the video I use cordless bluetooth in ear headphones. I did not want to spend a fortune on headphones so I purchased the rechargeable ones I own on clearance at Winners.

I really want to get my road bike off the trainer and on the road, but with the weather so up and down I have been in a quandary when to change out my rear tire from a training tire back to my road tire.

The long range forecast is looking up so hopefully, the next update will say that I have put down some 20-40 or more km road rides….thanks for reading!

My ride today was actually a 30 minute spin class at Come Alive Fitness located in Waterloo, Ontario. The ride represented the ‘kick-off’ for a road ride on June 26, 2016 called Ride Don’t Hide. The event is in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association. The fully supported 8 km or 47 km ride will take place on paved picturesque Waterloo Region roadways.

As many of you know, in 2013 I completed a 127 km Grand Fondo road ride in Niagara Region. Just two weeks after that ride I was hit from behind by a car while cycling. The driver was charged with failing to share the road with a bike. My recovery from that preventable collision was long and sometimes arduous.

In 2014, just when I thought I was getting back on track, the ceiling in our living room collapsed in our home as a result of water entering the roof space through a damage chimney that we were not aware of. This resulted in $140,000 of unplanned, un-budgeted renovations; not covered by insurance. The stress of 2014 continued with our dog suffering a life threatening illness, 5 family weddings, 3 bridal showers (that I hosted), a torn meniscus in my left knee, a working trip to Spain and a contested municipal election.

I ate through much of my stress, gaining an unsightly amount of weight and then….I became breathless….all the time….I couldn’t concentrate at work….. I didn’t know what was happening to me. I thought I was getting asthma or that my allergies were out of control. A visit to my doctor confirmed I was suffering from anxiety attacks brought on from stress.

Anxiety is a form of depression. I think of it as a form of depression where instead of being depressed about what happened in the past I was anxious about what might happen in the future.

Exercise is a critical component to fighting mental health disorders and combined with medication I am really back on track. I am losing weight gradually and continuing to try to cycle daily.

It is for these reasons that I will “Ride not Hide” in support of Canadian Mental Health on Sunday June 26, 2016. Will you join me?

There is a very fresh feeling that exists when you cycle in the rain. The rain scrubs the air of pollutants and makes it just feel very clean. With the proper rain gear, I really only feel the odd rain drop on my face and I arrive dry and ready for work.

Today was the first time I have rode using the clipless side of my pedals since January 4, 2016. I love my Shimano SPD cycling shoes. The SPD shoes have recessed cleats that connect into my clipless pedal so when I arrive at my destination it is easy to walk. The other type of clipless shoe is very difficult to walk in, some refer to is as a “duck walk”. This system allows for a substantial increased use of the legs because you are now pulling up on the pedals as well as pushing down. They take a bit to get used to because when you are connected to you pedals (known as “clipped in”) you have to remember to disconnect (known as “clip out”) when you stop. When you are first learning how to use this system it is easy to forget and you simply fall over and take your bike with you. How do I know?….done it (embarrassed to say more than once and in a dress). My Norco A1 Forma road bike and my Trek Cacao commuter are both equipped with duel pedals so I can either ride with a regular shoe or with my SPD Shimano’s. My Norco Big Foot, winter bike will only ever have regular pedals because I want to ensure my feet are free to move in the event of a slip or slide. I met a fellow winter cyclist last month who was riding “clipped in” and he had just taken a bad fall on black ice. If he had had his feet free perhaps the fall may have been less painful and maybe even avoidable.

Variable Attire based on the temperature: sleeveless dress, and 180s ear muffs.

My last blog post was February 12th and since then I have been travelling all over the Province, but unfortunately my bike was parked in the garage. My week in the Dominican Republic was beautiful and warm. In keeping with my commitment for heathy living, I walked over 10,000 steps per day and played three rounds of golf. I worked hard to rest and eat well, but with unlimited food and alcoholic beverages …. Well you get the picture.

The week of February 22 saw me in and out of Toronto every day for 7 days straight, along with two days in Ottawa. My vehicle was of course needed for these trips and I did not enjoy the time away from my bike. The Ottawa trip was complete with a winter storm and significant flight delays. This resulted in a last minute change to take VIA rail back to Toronto and the UP Express to Pearson where I met my driver for a ride back to Waterloo Region. I was home and in bed before my flight from Ottawa even landed in Toronto!

Last week saw me back into Toronto on Monday followed by a winter storm event Tuesday night and into Wednesday. I put my upper back out and spent much of Thursday at the Chiropractor and Massage clinic….Friday started at 7 am in Downtown Kitchener followed by work then travel to Niagara Falls for #cuvee2016. Suffice to say, cycling was not in the horizon for last week either. I thought about my bike a lot in Niagara Falls this past weekend as the weather was stunning and there is so much investment in cycling infrastructure in and around the area as well as the surrounding wine region. I was longing to be on my bike.

It is 10 degrees of beautiful today! I cycled to the office. I am uncertain if I can still refer to this commute as “winter cycling”. Today will also be my first commute from my new workplace to City Hall. There is a lot of construction along my preferred route related to a new rail commuter train known locally as the #ION so I am a bit uncertain as to what trails are open, partially open or altogether closed, but I plan to find out.

Variable Attire based on the temperature: long-sleeved jersey dress, and Bula balaclava.

Today is the last day of my first week at my new job. It was also winter bike to work day. Friday, February 12th, 2016 was the 4th annual international Winter Bike to Work Day as established by http://winterbiketoworkday.org/ almost 10,000 people around the globe committed on line to the ride, including me!

The ride was very “fresh”, well maybe cold, but completing it made me feel that I accomplished something. My new colleagues at work are likely wondering if I they are now working with a crazy lady 🙂

The extra 1.3 km of commute is not much, but in the morning it feels like an eternity! I don’t know why this is. I just keep telling myself to keep calm and peddle on 🙂

I am leaving tomorrow for a week of ‘fun-in-the-sun’ with my 20 year old son. The golf links in the Dominican Republic are calling to us. Upon my return I am speaking at the Ontario Good Roads Association Conference on building bicycle friendly communities. If you are at the Conference and a follower of this blog be sure to drop into the workshop and say hello.

Over the past while I have set my mind towards undertaking a career change! As exciting and challenging as that can be, one priority for me to consider was to ensure I could continue to actively recreate while commuting to and from work. In considering where I could/should look for work every consideration came with evaluating my ability to access work actively. I considered the following:

The “BIG” City: Toronto, Ontario Canada: my commute to this location would include a 15 minute bike ride, a 30 minute bus ride and 2 1/2 hour GO Transit ride. I have worked in Toronto before and I love Toronto, it is an amazing City. Although careers in Toronto can be very exciting they can also be a challenge to get to with the magnitude of grid lock that exists for commuters travelling on the major Ontario Highways or choosing public transit. Spending over 6 hours per day commuting is not desirable no matter how much I might Love Toronto.

A “near-by” Community: Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario Canada are often referred to as the “twin-cities” because the boundary between the two, for the average visitor, is non-existent. A career in Kitchener near to the city borders would be an easy commute by bike or by a combination of bike and bus. As you head out to the suburban areas of Kitchener a commute by bike and bus could easily become in excess of 1 or even 2 hours each way.

A “neighbouring” Community: Guelph and Cambridge, Ontario Canada are a 30-50 km commute each way depending on where you are going in those communities and the roads available for a cyclist. I would need to use a light-weight road-bike to undertake these distances and I would require the destination to have access to a shower for sure. For Cambridge I could combine my commute with bus transit. For Guelph I could consider using the GO Transit which has limited hours. Either choice would result in a significant multi-modal commute (minimum of 1 1/2 hours each way) that would become rather in-flexible without easy access to a car.

Stay in town: When you narrow your search for your “dream job” down to a reasonable in-town bicycle commute of 10 km each way, you certainly narrow your opportunities too.

Fortunes shone on me and I accepted an position as a Senior Engineer working for a Architectural firm located just 1.3 km further than my previous commute! I am navigating so much change this week. For 23 years I worked as an environmental consulting engineer and now I am shifting gears to working as a senior engineer with an Architecture firm. Imagine the joy and nervousness that is combined with this move!

The ride in the morning was sunny with light flurries. The cold did not seem to be to unmanageable, but the ride home at 8pm was a bitter cold. It was the first time I have had to stop riding to try to warm up my hands.

My new ride in the cold and snow is about 20 – 30 minutes depending on how much snow is on the roads.

Bottom Line? I have a new job and I have tackled my first winter commute to the new location and it was GREAT!

Today was budget day at the City of Waterloo. The work associated with the creation of a three year budget began over a year ago. I spent the better part of my Birthday yesterday working through the budget documents (again) so I left the house this morning with much on my mind.

It was cloudy so I did not receive the sunshine hit of vitamin D, which I always look forward to. Never-the-less, the ride was wonderful. About ½ way to City Hall, I realized I left my cell phone at home. This realization actually caused me some concern. When I am cycling I feel that my cellphone is a part of my emergency management plan. I have been rear-ended by no less than two vehicles on two separate ‘preventable collisions’ and having my cell phone to call for police and EMS brings me a sense of peace while riding.

The budget work reflects the commitment of the City of Waterloo to supporting active transportation. In 2015, the City of Waterloo counted over 1 Million trips (walking and biking) across all City trail counters. The counts are reflected in the graph included.

Budget day did not end until 10 pm. By that time it had snowed for some time and it was wet, slippery snow. Because I did not have the fat tire bike I “called a friend” to bail me out and drive me home. The lucky friend was my hubby 🙂

Saturday was another beautiful day to ride. The roads were lightly snow covered from an overnight dusting of snow so I decided to ride the “Batpod” this morning. I awoke with a slight head ache and very tight shoulders. I was thankful to be heading out on the bike as I knew it would be a great stress-buster. My first meeting of the day was breakfast with friends at a favourite local establishment known as the Daily Grill. It is now going on 6 years that I have been requesting a bike rack at this restaurant. To date I have made no progress with the restaurant owner or the property owner. I still remain hopeful 🙂 Until then, the above tree acts as my temporary lock up provided the area is not loaded with snow. The tree has also grown so much that my U-lock no longer fits around the truck!After breakfast I rode to a near by transit terminal to board the bus to downtown Kitchener. My Norco Bigfoot fat tire bike does not fit on the front rack of the bus. The bus drivers today were awesome and encouraging to me when I brought my bike on board. Some times I jam the rear wheel against the folding seats on the bus as shown below and other times I stand with the bike. When I am standing I keep a hand on one of the brakes so the bike does not roll.

The City of Kitchener active transportation committee organized the annual ‘coldest bike ride of the year’ event. I am uncertain if I should say the weather did or did not co-operate with the planned ride. It was far from being the coldest day this winter, but the warmer weather combined with a burst of sunshine seemed to motivate more cyclists to participate. There were 18 bikes and one wee toddler passenger.

The group of us rode from Kitchener City Hall to Waterloo City Hall using the brand spankin’ new Spur Line trail. This beautiful off-road trail is paved and complete with overhead lights! From the Spur Line trail we rode on the Iron Horse trail to the Berlin Bicycle Café located in a part of Kitchener known as Belmont Village.

On the ride home I decided to hitch another GRT bus ride for a part of the way. I wanted to get home so I could get ready to celebrate my Birthday on Saturday night with friends!

Sunday was my birthday! Like most Sundays I walked to and from Church in the morning. That was the extend of my exercise today because I had to work on my City of Waterloo Budget package in preparation for Budget Day tomorrow. Outside of preparing for tomorrow I had a lovely Birthday.

Weather: Thursday February 4, 2016 High of 1 degree C. No precipitation. February 5, 2016. A mix of sun and cloud with 40 percent chance of flurries. Wind southwest 20 km/h. High of 0 degrees C.

Gear: Walking gear!

My meetings on Thursday and Friday of this week found me working at the Offices of Professional Engineers Ontario located at Yonge and Sheppard in Toronto, Ontario.

As much as I wish I could say I commuted by public transit, I cannot. Sometimes time really is money! I did however park the car and walk the 1 km from the hotel to PEO. As well, because I was not getting my high cardio time in the bike seat I also had to manage my food intake.

Friday saw me walking and riding the “Red Rocket”, also known at the Toronto Transit System. Ahhh the joys of the ‘big city’.